Stargate: Avallana
by Lantean12
Summary: With Atlantis stuck on Earth, Terrence has managed to make an agreement which states that the city will be returned to Pegasus if the new expedition been sent to the city of Avallana can last for two years. Simple right? Well he hopes so, but with two crushes present as well as the Wraith who are united, this may not be so simple. Sheppard/OC/Mitchell. SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Matter of Politics

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**Chose to change the plot yet again. Name changed on my OC to prevent any confusion with Colonel Carter as she will be in it and I will be making one character inclusion from SG-1.**

He sighed angrily as he walked back to his quarters on Atlantis, honey-brown eyes flashing in rather uncharacteristic anger as he did so. He'd gone from been a Medical Doctor to politician to get the city back where she belonged, and what for? The only ally from within the IOA he had was Camile Wray and she had left for the Icarus project and he and Woolsey weren't making progress.

"Terrence!" he heard a familiar voice call and he turned to see Cameron Mitchell jogging to catch up with him.

"Hey Cameron" he greeted, voice tired and frustrated.

"You okay?" he asked in concern upon looking at his posture and the Brit gave a short nod. "You sure don't look it" he pointed out.

Terrence Jones was a few inches shorter than Mitchell, his normally gentle honey-brown eyes now a mix of negative emotions. His usually unruly hair was flat against his forehead and his defined features looked just as tired as his eyes. He had a lean build with plenty of muscle definition thanks to Sheppard and Teyla training him. His shoulders were wide, his chest was broad and his waist was slim and when he walked, it was usually with a fair bit of grace.

"I just came from the recent round of negotiations" he said as though it answered everything.

"Ahh. No luck?" he asked and the Brit chuckled humourlessly.

"No luck was last week. More like dead end" he said, resuming his walk, which wasn't his usual graceful walk. It looked tired, agitated and out of character for Terrence. "They're insisting that Atlantis remain here to defend Earth whilst the few people that do remain in Pegasus suffer literally at the hands of the Wraith" he growled out.

"And have you brought that up with them?" he asked, a little concerned about his behaviour.

"Brought it up? Both me and Woolsey stressed it. They said that our primary concerns should be the protection of our own people. I attempted to convince them that by Atlantis remaining in Pegasus, the frontline would be out there and not too close to home" he said, swiping the motion sensor and gesturing for him to enter.

"When are the next round?" Mitchell asked, sitting on the chair at his desk.

"Tomorrow. I'm hoping we can find something to do for the people of Pegasus" Terrence said.

"Like what?" the Colonel asked.

"Searching for another city. Pass me that laptop please?" he asked kindly and Mitchell reached behind and handed the computer. "I've dug through a lot of old outposts and they are either on the most inhabitable worlds out there or they have been destroyed altogether" he said, tapping back into the database.

"Need some help?" he asked.

"I could kill for it. There's a tablet in the top drawer which is linked to the database" he said gratefully. All that could be heard in the room was the tapping of keys or fingers against a screen as the two searched extensively.

"How about this one. M4G-544 is an Ancient production plant" Mitchell suggested.

"Nah, we tried it. Power requirements were too much. Though I may have one. It's known as Agnos, situated in one of the most remote corners of the galaxy" he read off of the screen. "Apparently it was meant to be a permanent settlement, built on the ground rather than like Atlantis" he said and he smiled.

"I'm guessing it's viable?" Mitchell asked.

"Definitely. Just going over some of the data that was made before the Ancients evacuated for Earth from Atlantis" he said and Mitchell sat on the bed, looking over his shoulder.

"Anything good?" the Colonel asked.

"If you call a ship in the process of been refitted good then yes" he said with a grin.

"A ship?" he asked, a little shocked.

"This is what it says. 'One of two exploration vessels launched to seed planets with Stargates and investigate some sort of signal in the background radiation. One was launched, the other made it to Pegasus, where it was reclaimed and was in the process of been refitted for use in the war'" he read out.

"What work was been done?" Cameron asked, looking intently.

"They were in the process of rearming the ship with Drone weapons to go with their pulse guns and the shields were also receiving an upgrade. New sensors were added and they were ready to add an intergalactic hyperdrive, though they were only half way there before the evacuation to Earth. There are two bridges instead of one, each performing different duties" he read with interest.

"You're having a party in your mind aren't you?" Mitchell asked and the Brit beamed.

"No, I'm having three" Terrence said and Cameron chuckled.

"You missed one thing" he said and the Brit urged him on. "The ship has it's own Stargate" he said, pointing to the relevant area on the screen.

"It gets better" the Brit said. "With this, they won't be able to resist" he said with a grin.

"Want me to go with you? To the negotiations and on this expedition?" Mitchell asked.

"Oh no, I couldn't. Your commander of your own SG team. I can't call you away from that" the Brit said resolutely.

"It's fine. All off-world missions have been cancelled whilst we help with repairs to the damage done during the battle with that Hive Ship. And I'm sure there's someone else who can take my place whilst I'm gone" he reassured and the Brit seemed to debate.

"Fine, but only if you're sure" he said and the other nodded.

"I liked Atlantis. I'll most likely grow to like this place as well" Cameron said with a grin.

"Okay. We'll go to the negotiations tomorrow morning. They'll be held in the Conference Room in the Central Spire. Meet me here at nine" he said and the other nodded.

"Got it. I'll go now and let you get some sleep. Night buddy" he said, getting off of the bed and shooting out of the room. Terrence breathed a happy sigh. The object of his affections was going with him on this expedition and he finally had a way to help the others in the galaxy.

"Good night" he whispered.

He stripped from his suit and folded it neatly over the back of his computer chair, dressing in a plain black t-shirt and loose black pyjama shorts before climbing into bed. He had a good feeling about tomorrow.

(The next morning)

He dressed quickly that morning in a plain black dress shirt with a black waistcoat and he pulled on his trousers, fastening a leather belt. He slipped on a pair of dress shoes and rolled up his sleeves, choosing to leave the jacket behind and then he heard his motion sensor tell him someone was outside of his room.

"Oh good, you're here" Terrence said upon opening the door.

"Yeah" was the simple reply from Cameron.

"Okay, I know how much government types bug you so please be on your best behaviour" he said as though speaking to a child.

"Yes mom" the other replied sarcastically.

"Good son" was the equally sarcastic reply.

The walk to the conference room passed by is companionable silence. The city was still bustling with activity as people conducted repairs to various systems or went about their usual business, but those who seemed to go about normal life missed life in Pegasus.

"This should hopefully go over smoothly" the Brit said.

"I like how you say hopefully" the Colonel replied.

"Yeah so do I" Terrence replied, sounding a little nervous, but a friendly pat on the arm helped calm him a little.

They approached the conference room, the multi-panel doors all open showing three members of the IOA on one side and Woolsey on the other. Upon seeing him, the current commander of Atlantis turned to give him a smile.

"Terrence" the bespectacled man greeted before turning to Mitchell. "Colonel Mitchell, I wasn't expecting you to be here" he said, turning a questioning gaze on Terrence, who merely smiled.

"I'll explain soon Mr. Woolsey" he said, shaking hands with the other representatives.

"Mr. Jones. Thank you for agreeing to see us again" Shen Xiaoyi said with a smile.

"A pleasure" he stated, before taking his seat. "To be frank I'm surprised you agreed to go for more negotiations" he said honestly.

"Well we thought you made a compelling case. And whilst we feel that Atlantis should be fully withdrawn from Pegasus related affairs, we thought that we may give you another chance. So, what are your additional terms for returning?" she asked.

"Actually I have something else in mind" he said.

"We're listening" she urged him on.

"Since the beginning of these negotiations and your refusal so far to send the city back, I decided to look into other options for Pegasus" he said and for a moment she looked outraged.

"You did so without consulting us?" she asked.

"I wasn't sure that it would come to anything" the Brit protested.

"Fair enough" she conceded. "Continue" she urged.

"I've been looking for different Ancient outposts located within the Pegasus Galaxy. I managed to find one, a city known as Avallana, on the planet of Agnos. I propose an expedition to this city, and if I can prove that the frontline is better out there in two years, will you return the city?" he asked.

"Have you even made sure to see if it's viable?" she asked, dodging the question for a moment.

"The Stargate in the city, despite it's distance from the galaxy, has been receiving reports, as it were on the status of the planet. It's intact, the atmosphere is breathable and there is plenty to explore" he said and she nodded.

"And in return for these two years, you want Atlantis to return?" she asked and he nodded. "Would you continue to lead the expedition in this new city?" she asked.

"Anything to help benefit the people of not only the Pegasus galaxy, but of this one as well. I would not have suggested it otherwise" he said and the others whispered to one another.

"Are you sure this will work?" Woolsey whispered to him.

"Even if they refuse to allow the city to return, we just request a transfer to Agnos" the Brit said.

"And failing that?" he asked and Terrence sighed.

"Back to the bloody drawing board" he said and Woolsey seemed to tense a little. Mitchell had remained quiet.

Time seemed to slow as the three representatives continued to discuss his terms and the atmosphere continued to grow tenser. In fact, you could practically grab a hold of the tension in the air. Soon the three turned to look at him and he inwardly gulped.

"You're terms are fair. Granted" Shen said and he smiled.

"There was one more thing I want" he said and she urged him on.

"Go ahead" one of the other representatives said.

"I wish to take all senior members of Atlantis staff with me to Agnos" he said and Woolsey nearly fell out of his seat. "The reason been is that the senior staff have more experience in Pegasus and could benefit the newer members" Terrence argued.

"Granted. Compile a list and make the necessary calls. This is your idea, so you will lead. Just do us one favour" Shen said and he nodded. "Don't let us down" she said.

"I won't ma'am" he said respectfully. "Colonel Mitchell will be accompanying me as the ranking military officer. I have something in mind for Sheppard" he said and the others nodded, not even bothering to question him on what this something was.

He stood, and with a respectful bow he left the room in remarkably high spirits, Mitchell in tow.

"You do realise all the paperwork you'll have to do?" he asked and the other nodded.

"Yeah, and I couldn't give a toss. Anything to help those people" he said passionately.

"By the way, what did you have in mind for Sheppard?" Cameron asked.

"He'll remain as a member of an off-world team. However I'm going to see if I can put the newest 304 under his command when we need it" he said and Mitchell grinned.

"The USS Interceptor. You sure he won't mind?" Sheppard asked.

"He'll be glad to do it" Terrence assured.

(Later)

"Absolutely not!" the Colonel protested.

"I thought you said he'd be glad to do it?" Cameron asked but the other merely held a hand up to silence him.

"John, you and I have been friends for a while" he started. The one problem he suffered was the fact that he was divided. He had two crushes on both military commanders, and it's left him conflicted. The feeling had diminished with the negotiations, but it soon came back with a vengeance.

"I know, and I'd do anything for you, except that" the other said and the Brit sighed.

"I can't have two commanding officers. And you interrupted me before I could finish what I was going to say" he pointed out and the other urged him on. "I'm not taking you off of active duty. You will only command the Interceptor if needed. Other than that you still get to go off-world and kick alien arse" the Brit said and John was silent.

"Do I get a health plan?" he asked.

"Who do you think I am? Jesus? I can't work all sort of miracles. I thought staying in a team would be enough to convince you" Terrence said and Cameron continued to grin. "No check-ups in the infirmary" he pleaded.

"No tests on my ATA" Sheppard said.

"Plus the no check-ups?" Terrence asked.

"Of course" Sheppard said.

"Submit to one final check-up before we leave and we'll play it by eye from then on" he made one final term. Sheppard held out his hand to shake and the Brit took it with a smile. "You're the best, even if it means no up-to-date medical records" he said, realising what he just done.

"Yeah, Carson will kill you" Sheppard said and even Cameron looked sympathetic.

(Infirmary)

"You told him what?!" the Scot exclaimed and the Brit winced.

"It was the only way to get him to go" he pleaded and Carson looked dangerously close to pulling a scalpel on him. "Besides, he rarely changes in his physiology unless it's been altered by some sort of alien bug and even then, the results are visible" he pleaded.

"You'd best be praying, lad" Carson said, before clapping him on the shoulder. "I'll go" he said simply.

"You really are the good doctor" he said, hugging the Scot.

"Yeah yeah, just don't take it for bloody granted" Carson said and the other gave a nod before leaving. He walked into Cameron and Sheppard.

"So he didn't dissect you?" Sheppard asked.

"Not an organ out of place and he said he'd go with us" Terrence said.

"Well I managed to convince Rodney to go. Zelenka will stay behind to oversee repairs to the city" John said and the other nodded. "Naturally Teyla and Ronon are coming with us" he added.

"Okay so that's one team sorted. You'll kill me for saying this" Terrence said and they raised a brow.

"What is it?" they asked in unison.

"I need you two to go through personnel files for the expedition. You are my two military experts" he said.

"You mean paperwork?" John asked.

"In a word, yes" the Brit said, cringing at the glare.

"Because we have to do it anyway, fine" the other Colonel said before heading off.

Terrence headed into the smaller conference room to go over his own load of personnel. He knew now how Elizabeth must feel having to deal with all of the paperwork. The thought of that woman with her motherly tones and stern nature brought a small tear to his eye. She was the mother of that expedition and under her they had managed to accomplish many things, just like she said in her small speech prior to the start of the siege.

"We'll make you proud Elizabeth" he said quietly.

He continued his work in silence then, the only sound to be heard was the clicking of keys and the sounds coming from the computer.

**So I'm going with this. And I damn well mean it. Anyway, I'm on halfterm, meaning I have a week off from school which is well timed as I have finished my exams and coursework which should mean I will be updating like mad. Hope you enjoy, Rate and Review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Avallana

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**Rate and Review :) Agnos was a planned world for the game Stargate: Worlds. Check out the page for it on Wikia. I have changed the galaxy location for it obviously as well as the location of the Stargate**

It had taken weeks to get everything ready for the expedition. Uniform, weapons, supplies and also plenty of computers and tablets, all of it took a lot of time and money to prepare, and this would be the day where it would go to good use.

"You almost ready?" Terrence heard Mitchell ask outside his door.

"Almost" he called back, zipping up his quarter-zip black fleece.

"You're almost as bad as a woman!" he heard Sheppard call through.

"Yeah, well perfection takes time darlings" he called back in the most feminine voice and he could hear the two Colonels roaring with laughter. "You liked that didn't you?" he called out and he got two barely coherent responses. "Okay, I'm all set" he said, chucking his laptop bag around him.

"Working for you is going to be fun" Mitchell said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Well I hope so. Don't expect me to be lax to often though" the Brit advised.

The other two nodded and with wide grins they walked to the Gateroom at the SGC where the large expedition was already beginning to gather. The grin widened on Terrence's face as he walked up to the ramp and whistled for everyone's attention.

"Okay ladies and gentleman. We're about to do what the Atlantis Expedition did four years ago only it will be a little bit easier. Our mission is not only to do what we were doing before, but we need to last two years if we want to get Atlantis back to the Pegasus Galaxy. Should you wish to leave at all, then make sure to let us know so we can get you back home with some help. Do any of you wish to withdraw your participation now?" he asked and no one said anything. "Start dialling" he said with a small smile. He headed up to the Control Room so he could look at the readings from the MALP when they send it through.

"Chevron eight is locked" Harriman said and the wormhole connected, earning a small applause.

"Send up the MALP" Terrence said.

The reconnaissance probe slowly made it's way up the ramp and through the Stargate and the Brit waited with anticipation. The monitor then switched from having 'No Signal' on it to a dark image of what was on the other side.

"We have MALP telemetry" Harriman said and Terrence looked at the monitor.

"The room looks like the Atlantis Control Room" Terrence noted.

"Atmosphere is stable, no toxins present what so ever. You have a green light" Harriman said and turned to him with a small smile.

"Thank you, Walter" he said.

"Leaving already?" he heard General Landry ask behind him.

"Yes sir. We have confirmation" he said respectfully.

"Very well. Good luck Terrence" the General said. "We'll keep you posted on the status of Atlantis when we hear more" he said and the other nodded.

"Thank you sir" he said. With a grin he grabbed his large rucksack and secured it before walking out of the Control Room and back up to the ramp. "Mitchell, Sheppard, Stackhouse and Matthews, you're coming through with me" he said and the others gave a nod and a grin.

"What's it look like?" Sheppard asked.

"Oh it's familiar" the Brit replied with a grin.

The four military personnel aimed their weapons and stepped through as soon as Terrence did, the feeling of Gate travel familiar to him.

(On the other side)

They stepped out to see the Gateroom already lit up from the sun, though the wall lights came on anyway as well as the ones on the stairs. The MALP was moved away from the wormhole whilst the others looked around.

"Familiar. It looks the same!" Sheppard said with a grin.

"This'll make things a little easier" Terrence said, earning agreements.

"Terrence, status?" his radio sounded, General Landry been the one to speak.

"It's all clear. Start sending them through" he said when he raised the radio to his lips. Sheppard and Mitchell went to the Control Room and took the dust covers that had been placed over the panels as more personnel began to come through.

"Dibs on the office" Mitchell said, spotting the office across from the Control Room.

"I think not. Commander gets first pick" the Brit said, legging it up the stairs and placing his bag in there, much to the chagrin of Mitchell.

"Childish" Mitchell said and Terrence chuckled.

"This coming from the one who tried to call dibs" he said, and Sheppard chuckled.

Terrence stood on the balcony in the Control Room and watched as two hundred people made their way through the Gate with all the equipment. A final soldier came through and looked up at him, a small nod symbolising the last one had just come through.

"General Landry. Avallana offers it's own greetings. You can cut power to the Gate" he said into his radio. The Stargate shut down then and with a smile he turned to the expedition.

"What now?" Sheppard asked.

"I'll explain" he said and then he whistled to get everyone's attention. "Okay, from the looks of this room, I think it's a safe bet that the rest of the tower is likely to be the same. Leave all equipment that isn't personal to you and find yourself your quarters" he said and they began to disembark from the room.

"Terrence, take a look at this" Mitchell called and he headed out to where he was, on the balcony.

"Oh my God" he said, leaning over the balcony.

The Control Tower was built near the edge of a cliff and was overlooking the rest of the city. Three towers were connected to the spire they were in and they spotted a second tower of equal height on the same cliff, also surrounded by three smaller towers.

"This will take some getting used to" Sheppard said and the others nodded.

"There is one thing that is the same" Terrence said with a small smile.

"What's that?" Sheppard asked.

"Just listen" Terrence advised. The sound of rolling waves and water could be heard and the two former inhabitants of Atlantis grinned. "Easy sleeping here I come" he said, before heading back in.

"When do we start missions?" Cameron asked.

"Not for a few days. I want to get this place organised before we do anything. Plus I want to check out that ship they were busy refitting before they left" Terrence said, standing in the Control Room with the others. "I intend to command it should we need it" he added, and the others blinked.

"You want to command that ship?" Sheppard asked for confirmation.

"Yeah. I may have been a medical doctor, but I know how to negotiate terms. I think having a ship around would help if the Wraith decide to show up" he said, leaning on a panel and activating it which made the three jump.

"And it looks like you have the gene for it" Sheppard said and the other grinned.

"Exactly. Now go pick out some quarters" he said, pointing downstairs and the two nodded. Honey-brown eyes wandered around the room and Terrence smiled widely, before heading out to pick his own quarters.

(Six Hours Later)

It didn't take long for people to set up the Control Room and that was when they learnt that a full ZPM was powering the city. The city was smaller than Atlantis, but not by much and thus it only needed one ZPM to power the settlement.

"The ZPM isn't tied into the Control Tower" one of the technicians noted.

"So what's powering this place?" Terrence asked, looking around, confused.

"There is a large satellite in orbit around the planet which directs pure solar waves down onto the tower. According to the database, the Solaris is protected with anti-detection software as well as a defensive shield as back up" Rodney explained as he walked in.

"Why a separate power source?" Terrence asked.

"If the ZPM fails then not all of the city is shut down. Particularly handy during a Wraith invasion as it allows the biometric sensors to remain active in the tower and also power the shield around it" the physicist explained.

"And so long as the satellite remains active..." he let it hang.

"The longer the shield holds. The Solaris tracks the sun and continues to focus the waves, allowing for power in the evenings" Rodney continued to explain.

"How is the satellite powered?" Mitchell asked.

"By solar energy, just as the Control Tower is" he said, sounding as though talking to an idiot.

"Anything of interest?" Sheppard asked and Rodney looked impatient.

"We've only just got here. What am I? Speedy Gonzales?" the scientist huffed and Sheppard glared at him. "If you mean any nasty surprises then no, so far. No Ancient viral labs, no alternate copies of us contained in stasis, no tumour creating device" Rodney crossed off of his fingers.

"Well that's good" Sheppard said.

"Bear in mind we've only explored this tower" Rodney pointed out.

"What about this ship? Do you think you can locate it using the sensors?" Terrence asked and the Canadian sat down at one of the panels and he began tapping on the controls. A glass screen behind him switched on and a diagram of a triangular shape appeared.

"According to the sensors the ship is located in an underground hangar bay. We're still getting EM readings so that's good" the Canadian said and the Brit nodded.

"I want you to assemble a team to finish what the Ancients started" Terrence instructed.

"What's the scale of work been done?" Rodney asked.

"In short, the hyperdrive is half complete, sensors still need to be calibrated properly as well as the on-board Stargate. There is a magnetic docking mechanism used for towing damaged ships that needs to be finished. Oh and lastly a Puddle Jumper bay has been installed but the access on the bottom of the hull is on the blink" he said and he looked at him for a reaction.

"You've got to be kidding me" he said flatly and turned.

"Oh, I almost forgot. They were busy working on a way to interface Drone weapons with their current armament. A control chair like the one on the Orion is ready to be installed" he said and he could've sworn the Canadian flipped him off. "I'm such a bastard" he said with gleeful smile and the others raised a brow.

"Yes you are" Mitchell agreed.

"Ahh, that's a piece of cake for Rodney" the Brit said.

"In the meanwhile?" Sheppard asked.

"Well, at the rate at which the settling process is going it won't be long before we start doing our off-world missions again. Sheppard, you and your team will be reaffirming relations with the Athosians and Travellers. Cameron, you and me will be going on a diplomatic mission as soon as I find a planet nearby" the Brit said.

"Will weapons be needed?" he asked.

"This part of the galaxy is remote to the Wraith. As far as the deep-space sensor logs show, it looks like this place hasn't seen a Wraith culling in the ten-thousand years since the Ancients left Atlantis which is remarkable" he said, showing them a map of their system.

"It's devoid of Hive Ships" Sheppard pointed out.

"No cruisers, not even a Dart" Terrence reaffirmed.

"It's almost too good to be true" Cameron said and the Brit nodded.

"I've got the technicians pushing the deep-space sensors to see what the Wraith have been up to in our absence. We haven't got a clue on whether or not this civil-war is still on the go" he said and the other two nodded.

"Well if it is then that's a bonus" Sheppard said.

"It is. However, if they unite, the remaining Hives will likely seek us out. Who knows how many more ZPM's they stole from Asuras" Terrence said.

"Well we have a city which can stand up to them. The Control Tower will stand because of the shield" Sheppard pointed out. "Anyway, let's not get ahead of ourselves" the Colonel said.

"Yeah. May as well relax. We'll see how the rest of this move goes. I'll contact you in the morning to see if you're going and I'll search for planets in the mean time. Have the rest of the day off guys" he said, but they didn't budge. "You did just hear me, right?" he asked for confirmation.

"You seriously think we're gonna leave you on your own to pour through that database?" Cameron asked.

"Don't let me stop you" he said, burying his head into a tablet.

"Got a spare laptop?" Sheppard asked.

"You really want to sift through many planets in this area of the galaxy in the hopes of finding one to trade with?" he asked and the other nodded.

"We'd rather hang out with you at the moment anyway" Sheppard said and the other nodded before pointing to them where two spare laptops lay.

"My office then" he said, and they followed.

The sun had begun to go down as they searched all of the planets in their system with all three of them getting more than a little frustrated.

"When they said that this is one of the most remote places in the galaxy they weren't kidding" the Brit said.

"Yeah" the other two agreed in unison. Terrence's eyes all of a sudden shot up.

"I have one. They call themselves the Lumen. According to the Ancient database they allowed an outpost to be set up, the purpose of which has been forgotten. The resulting radiation from the experiments had a different effect on them and gave them the strangest of abilities. They are a polite and friendly people and welcome anyone who approaches them" he read off of the tablet.

"Sounds like an easy mission" Sheppard said.

"I'm just wondering what these abilities are" Terrence said as he scanned over the data.

"Can't be too harmful, considering they're a welcoming race" Cam said and Terrence nodded.

"Point taken. So that'll be our mission tomorrow if all goes well" the Brit said, closing his laptop. It was like old times. Forging relations, discovering new technology and soon, kicking Wraith ass over the galaxy.

**Don't get me wrong, I appreciate constructive criticism, I really do as it allows me to improve, however, I prefer it if people would review directly with their criticism so I can respond with a message. Instead, I have to do this and I will only be doing this once so please read this and burn it into your mind. **

**Dear Incognito Reviewer**

**I appreciate that you have questions, but please read the summary and the conditions of the expedition. I believe I stated that they are going to this city to prove that it is better to hold the line out there than closer to home and if they can, then Atlantis can return to Pegasus. The city is not a city-ship, it is a permanent settlement, by which I mean that it can't be moved. You're questions on the invasions obviously didn't take into account that Earth has a fleet of five Daedalus-class battle cruisers and now that they know how to deal with a super-Hive, I don't think an invasion by the Wraith will be an issue. And let's face it, given the opportunity, wouldn't you want a second Ancient city for a second colony in Pegasus? If this doesn't sound like it's in the best of tones I do apologise.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Off-world Missions and a Small Problem

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**Rate and Review :)**

The sun rose over the city that morning, casting a gentle, warm glow through the windows, waking Avallana's occupants up one at a time. The only exceptions to the early wake up call were Terrence, Cameron and two others, as well as Sheppard's team.

"Okay, so the whole moving period went easier than expected" Cameron said.

"Exactly. That is why we are going on missions today" Terrence said, zipping up his thermal.

"We'll be back around the same time as you" Sheppard said and the Brit gave a nod. "Good luck on your mission" the Colonel said.

"It'll be easy. Chuck, dial the Gate" he called up.

The address connected and the team walked through together in relatively high spirits. The brought weapons along with them just in case of any trouble, however unlikely it may have been.

(Lumera)

Upon stepping out, they found themselves already in the settlement of the Lumen and two of the guards standing nearby released a small sigh of relief. They were taller than most humans and were dressed in long blue robes, over which, gold armour protected them. Their helmets were simple and yet possessed a sort of grace.

"Welcome to the world of Lumen" one of the guards said, his silky voice soothing them of any fears that they may have had.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance" Terrence said, a small smile directed at them.

"May we ask for the reason of this visit?" the other asked politely.

"We travel as peaceful explorers. We merely wish to make new allies in this galaxy" the Brit replied easily.

"Very well. Follow us" the first guard said.

The four humans followed the taller men over a bridge made of white wood and into a large forest, yet the most significant part was that the homes were built in the trees. Unlike M7G-677, these homes looked more permanent and were more curvy in design. They were connected by a series of bridges, which Terrence could have sworn, were made by the branches having woven together perfectly.

"Please wait here" one of the guards said. Mitchell tapped his shoulder, noticing he was distracted and pointed directly ahead and honey-brown eyes widened even more.

A large staircase wound around the large trunk of a tree, heading towards a very large house, most likely the home of the leader. Sunlight flowed between the leaves, leaving a beautiful pattern on the ground.

"She will be with you now" the guard said, returning down the stairs.

"Thank you" Terrence said in reply, and again Mitchell tapped his shoulder and pointed in the same direction and his jaw dropped.

A woman, as tall as the two guards walked gracefully down the steps toward them. She wore a long grey dress which seemed to flow. She had gentle grey eyes with an even gentler smile to match and her beauty was unlike any they had seen before. Her raven hair was straightened and draped over her shoulder and her pale skin was flawless.

"Welcome travellers" she greeted. "I am Helena of the Lumen" she introduced.

"My name is Terrence Jones of the Tau'ri" he said, choosing to use their name that was used in the Milky way. "This is Cameron Mitchell, Sergeant Stackhouse and Corporal Davidson" he introduced them one by one.

"My guard tells me that you travel here looking for allies" the woman says and the other nods.

"Yes" was the simple reply.

"Yet you bear weapons. Why?" she asked in curiosity.

"We've run into bad situations from time to time in our travels. These are merely to defend ourselves with if necessary" Mitchell spoke and she nodded.

"You should have to worry here, Cameron Mitchell of the Tau'ri. This world is safe" she reassured. Helena gestured to follow her up the stairs and with an inward groan, they did so, Terrence walking ahead of the group. "It is not often that we see visitors" she started.

"I don't see why not. This planet, this settlement, it's beautiful" he said.

"Thank you. Though please tell me, what world do you come from?" she asked.

"It's known as Agnos. Our city is known as Avallana" the Brit explained.

"The city of the Lanteans. Why do you inhabit it?" she asked.

"We discovered the Lantean capital, Atlantis. With the Lanteans gone, we thought that we would see what we could learn from their technology. The city isn't in this galaxy any more" he said, trying to dodge the fact that the city was in fact still intact.

"We heard of it's destruction from our few allies. So you came back to Avallana?" she asked as they approached a large table in a pure white room.

"To continue our research, yes" Terrence replied.

"Please sit" she said. The table was close to the floor and several white cushions lay around it. They each took a seat and relaxed a little bit.

"How are you familiar with them?" Cameron asked.

"It was before their war with the Wraith. The Lanteans came to this planet, seeking to build a small stronghold to study the ability to manipulate the world around them. Their experiments however, failed and we were exposed to some sort of radiation. We fell ill shortly afterwards, but the Lanteans told us that the radiation was not fatal to our kind" Helena began to explain.

"You were there? All those years ago?" the Brit asked and she nodded. "How?" he asked, shocked.

"It would appear that the radiation had somehow altered us. Not only did we grow taller, but we had gained some sort of longevity. Not even the Lanteans could explain what had happened. Then we discovered that we possessed the very ability they were attempting to replicate. They theorised that the radiation had taking something from us, and like the Wraith, we can remain alive so long as we are properly nourished" Helena said, captivating them.

"And the bridges that connected your homes together...?" he let the question hang.

"Were woven using that ability" Helena finished. Several more of the Lumen came in carrying many plates of fruit and goblets which they laid down.

"What about the Wraith?" Cameron asked.

"We've never been culled. Using our abilities we can manipulate the trees. We still need a lot of practice with it though. We can make branches thicker to support our homes or add branches and many leaves to provide us with a natural shield which covers us from their sensors" she said, before gesturing to the spread. "Please, eat. Consider it a meal between allies" she said with a warm smile.

"So you've never relied on technology?" Terrence asked.

"We believe in preserving our planet. Why waste such beauty in the perfection of something which would inevitably be destroyed by the Wraith?" she said, taking a small sip from the goblet.

"A valid point. But what if the Wraith did come here?" Cameron asked.

"Our guards are more than capable of holding against a Wraith ground attack. We may look like we lack experience, but we can fight" Helena stated confidently.

"In return for our friendship, what would you want in return?" Terrence asked and she smiled.

"Only that we remain allies. To be called upon when needed most" she said.

"That's it?" the Brit asked, before taking a bite out of some fruit. "Wow, that tastes amazing" he said and she chuckled.

"When we do trade, which is rarely so these days, we offer our fruits which grow throughout the year" she explained.

They spent the next couple of hours explaining about their respective races such as their politics, beliefs and other aspects about them. Cameron listened intently as well about their role in the war against the Wraith and how they barely managed to break a siege with them. Soon however, they knew that they had to go, and Helena personally escorted them back to the Stargate.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Terrence. I hope to see you again" she said and he smiled.

"You as well Helena. Thank you for the hospitality" he said and she nodded.

(Avallana)

Upon getting through the wormhole Chuck waved for him to up to the Control Room and he did so quickly, finding the screen showed a planet. The Brit looked at it momentarily before turning back to the technician.

"What's up?" he asked.

"We received the results of the sensor scan" Chuck explained.

"Go on" the Brit said a little wearily.

"The planet on that screen is home to a large Wraith facility. They've gone to great lengths to keep it hidden as the coordinates are not showing up so I'm assuming they're blocking them" he explained.

"What about a Stargate?" Cameron asked.

"Non-existent. The planet doesn't even show up on the database" Chuck said.

"Keep monitoring it for any more activity" Terrence said before turning to Cameron, a frown on his face.

"That frown isn't a good look for you" Mitchell said.

"Well until that ship is repaired it'll be permanently stamped onto my face" he said and then an alarm went off and the Gate began to dial.

"We have an unscheduled off-world activation!" Chuck said, raising the Stargate shield.

"Have we got an IDC?" the Brit asked.

"It's the SGC" Chuck said and he lowered the shield in case anyone was coming through. The large monitor behind them showed an image of General Landry and Terrence turned, giving him a nod in respect and Cameron giving a salute.

"General Landry. How can I help you?" he asked, sounding a little frustrated.

"The IOA has gone back on it's word" the older said and Terrence scowled.

"Please tell me that this is the IOA's version of a joke? Why have they gone back on their word?" he asked, anger slowly building. Cameron was concerned then for the menacing tone in his voice. It was official, seeing the Brit angry, was not something he wanted to see too often.

"I'm afraid not. The Ori are a large threat and with our own Control Chair out of commission we need Atlantis here" Landry said.

"Please don't tell me you agree with them?" he pleaded.

"I do. We'll still be sending you resources as well as the new BC-305 as a Pegasus only vessel" he said and Terrence sighed.

"Can I at least make a recommendation?" he asked and Landry gave a nod. "Move it into more open waters when you can. The cloak is still a massive drain on your power" he said and Landry nodded.

"We're waiting on repairs before we can do that but it will be done. I'm sorry Terrence" Landry said and with a reluctant nod, the communication was cut and the Gate shut down.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted as he whacked the panel a good one in anger.

"Hey, easy" Cameron attempted to soothe.

"Contact another team, tell them to get ready to depart for the Genii homeworld to begin repairing our relations with them. Without Atlantis we going to need allies" he said and Chuck nodded.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Cameron asked.

"I'll send two Puddle Jumpers as back up. We managed to find a bay with them" Terrence said.

Never in his life had he felt so angry. He stormed back to his office and sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose and he sighed not in anger, but frustration. He understood their reasoning, he really did, but he couldn't shake the anger that the city had been taken from it's home of many millions of years.

"Relax. We still have a city to use" Cameron said.

"You're right. We'll just have to continue on as normal. I'll inform the personnel when they return from their own missions" he said and he grabbed his tablet.

"You gonna be okay?" Mitchell asked.

"I'll be fine. Just a bit miffed is all" he said with a half-hearted smile and the other nodded.

"Well I'm going to get some coffee. You want some?" the Colonel asked.

"Tea, two sugars and a small drop of milk, thanks" he said with a grin and Cameron got up, grumbling about 'awkward Brits and their tea habits' and he chuckled, feeling a little better. He was dreading telling Sheppard that Atlantis wasn't coming home, the man was one of the ones who was protesting vehemently to it's staying on Earth.

(Hours Later)

The team he requested earlier had already left for the Genii homeworld and AR-1 returned from it's mission to see a very grim commander. What made their own feelings of dread worse was when the Brit gestured for Sheppard to join him in his office.

"What's going on?" the Colonel asked warily.

"The IOA is refusing to send Atlantis home when the two years are up" he said and he cringed.

"What?!" the Colonel exclaimed, a glare set on his face.

"They said that they needed the city on Earth to defend against the Wraith and any other impending threats such as the Lucian Alliance. Even General Landry agreed to it" the Brit said and Sheppard looked ready to murder.

"Those bastards told us we could have it back!" he exclaimed, his glare set on him.

"Hey, don't set your glare on me. I protested as much as you did!" his voice was rising, just as he did from his seat.

"So what do we do now?" he asked, calming down after seeing angry honey-brown eyes.

"We carry on as normal. There's not much else we can do" Terrence said, sitting down and seeing to deflate.

"Okay" was the simple reply as he too sat down. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you" he said, sounding a little awkward as he apologised and the Brit smiled warmly and waved him off.

"It's fine. You're pissed, I'm pissed, we're allowed to get angry at others at the moment" he said and Sheppard's trademark grin. "We're still getting a ship in return only it's the first new 305. I haven't seen the schematics yet so I don't know what it looks like. However it is a Pegasus only vessel" the Brit said.

"Crap compensation" Sheppard said with a small scowl.

"Better that than nothing. How'd your mission go?" Terrence asked, quickly changing the subject.

"The Athosians were happy to see us after a while however it took us a while to find the Travellers, there colony has been moved elsewhere. They were pretty glad to see us as well" Sheppard said and the other smiled.

"Good to know our allies haven't abandoned us yet" he said.

"Yeah, what about the Genii?" Sheppard asked.

"I already sent a reinforced team to their homeworld to begin repairing relations with them. Their are two Jumpers with them so they won't think to try and do anything" Terrence reassured him as soon as he saw him tense a little.

"You sure they know what they're doing?" Sheppard asked.

"I'm not the only diplomat here you know?" he asked with a grin.

The IOA had left an even more bitter taste in their mouths than all of the other times that they had investigated the expedition. Needless to say, there will always be anger between the expedition and the IOA, no matter what their intentions were, but life had to go on.

**Incognito, man you have to get an account so I can respond to that whopper of a review. You would do well as a Beta reviewer. I'll answer that review when you get an account as that has given me a lot to think about. And I apologise in advance of my other races names, nothing could come to mind.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Hyperion

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**Rate and Review :)**

He had to hand it to Rodney and his team when it came to navigating the many corridors which led to the underground hangar bay for the ship. If it weren't for Rodney escorting him now, he would likely have gotten lost.

"We've managed to get most of the work done" the scientist began explaining.

"So can it be used yet?" Terrence asked.

"You've got to be kidding right?" he asked in shock.

"Rodney, after finding that Wraith facility I am in no position to be kidding. We still have months before the Interceptor is sent to us and I want this up and running before the Wraith find us" the Brit stressed.

"We still have no idea how it functions. This ship is older than anything else in the Ancient fleet by millions of years. We don't even know if it has enough power in it to get it off of the ground and we don't know the power source. Not to mention we need to find the control which activates the hangar doors for it to get out" the Canadian said as they approached the main hangar doors.

"Well in that case, let me help with the research" Terrence said.

"Do you even know how to access it?" Rodney asked.

"If it's been refitted with consoles which are the same as the ones in the city then I should have no problem in accessing a manual on the ship" he said and the scientist gave a sigh before waving his hand over the panel.

"Fine, but watch out for the small repair robot wandering around. It's busy reinforcing the hull with new material" Rodney huffed.

"Thank you" the Brit said.

"The database is located in what's known as the Control Interface Room. A sort of back-up if both of the main bridges in the pyramid-like structure are destroyed or disabled" he explained and the other nodded, following him along the access bridge to the ship.

"Any idea as to what it's name is?" he asked, looking at the new corridors which resembled those on an Aurora-class ship.

"No. But can you take a look? That way we know if it needs to be re-named" Rodney said.

"Why? So you can re-name it before Sheppard?" Terrence asked with a grin.

"I never said that. Might have crossed my mind..." the scientist said before walking off.

"Don't worry, you'll be the first to know!" he called to him.

"Thank you!" was the reply.

The Brit began walking to the room, finding it with relative ease. He saw the old consoles that were been pulled from the ship and the difference could be seen instantly. He the began tapping on the laptop which had been interfaced with the consoles, though from time to time he was pressing panels to access some other things.

"Anything of interest yet?" he heard Rodney ask over his earpiece.

"Got the name. It was renamed from the Fate to the Hyperion" he said with a smile.

"We're keeping the name" the Canadian said.

"I agree" Terrence said. He found the necessary file and he sat down on chair that had been placed at the console. He read the file with interest, although he scanned through most of it, trying to find the ships power source, although he did find out the ship didn't use to require the gene. His eyes shot up as he found it and a triumphant grin formed on his voice. "Rodney, we have a result" he said over the radio.

"Go on" the scientist huffed.

"The ship is run on solar energy. It dives into the corona of a star and with specially built collectors on each wing, it scoops up the required amount of material needed to completely power the ship. I also found out that the shields are able to resist the extreme heat, so the crew, should it ever be on the ship wouldn't feel a single thing" he read off of the file.

"Is the star in our system strong enough?" the Canadian asked.

"Plenty strong enough. You need to access the power levels for the ship" Rodney said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because it would be advisable to refuel. It's theorised that the matter with which the repair robots are able to make physical repairs is gathered in the process" Terrence said.

"Okay, I'm on it. I'll check back with you in an hour" the Canadian said.

Terrence spent the hour looking through more of the ships own database, finding out about all of it's intricate systems as well as the systems that were in place prior to refitting it. He reasoned that it would be a good idea that he looked at all of the details if he were to command it when necessary.

"Rodney, how's it going?"

"Power has been relatively untouched. It was recharged last year and the power is perfectly preserved. It doesn't say how" the Canadian explained.

"Well that's good" the Brit said.

"That's more than good" Rodney huffed.

"I'm guessing then, we're almost done here?" he asked.

"A few more diagnostics and test simulations of the new systems and then we can shut down and call it finished" Rodney said. "I want to be present for a test flight just to see how the new systems are adapting to the older model and see if we need to make any more repairs..." he then began to ramble as usual.

"Rodney!" he exclaimed with amusement. "I'll let you know when the Hyperion will be used on it's first try" Terrence reassured with a grin.

"Thank you. Not that it's that important" he huffed.

"Of course not Rodney. Be sure to send the results of the diagnostics to me" he said.

"Yes, yes fine" he huffed, back to his impatient self.

With a roll of the eyes, he grabbed a nearby tablet and loaded up a schematic of the underground bay before tapping in more commands for his destination, in this case a transporter. He decided that should he need to take a long walk, he would come down here.

"Terrence, come in" he heard Sheppard say and he tapped his earpiece.

"Go ahead" he responded as he reached the transporter.

"The team returned from the Genii homeworld. There's a small problem" the Colonel said and he jogged the rest of the way.

"What do you mean by problem?" he asked in concern.

"The Wraith are attacking the planet. They can't Gate out of there due to ground forces blocking their way so they've sealed themselves in their bunker" John explained when he arrived in the Gateroom. It was clear that a few were injured.

"Get them to the Infirmary. How large is the force?" he asked.

"Two cruisers with a complement of one hundred darts. Ground forces number at a total of fifty in the old village and ten near the Gate"

"Looks like the Hyperion will be launched early" he said and tapped his radio.

"Yes, what? What is it?" Rodney asked impatiently.

"Rodney, I want a small crew assembled, the Genii have come under attack" he reported.

"You mean to tell me that you want to help the very people that tried to string us up, steal the city, try to bury us underground, took us hostage and tried to get us thrown in prison?" Rodney asked, obviously angry.

"We need to build relations with them. Doing this may help" the Brit protested.

"What are you intending to do?" he asked after a sigh.

"Fight the Wraith and evacuate them" Terrence stated confidently.

"All of them in one go?!" he exclaimed.

"Obviously not. Ancient hyperdrives are quite fast. We'll just make several trips to and from the world and I'll even fill up the shuttles and Jumpers to ensure the most people are on board. Whilst we're on there, I want you to search for any planets with known bunkers like the one of the Genii homeworld" he said and cut the communication to say he wasn't arguing. "Carson come in" he said.

"What can I do for you, lad?" the Scot asked.

"I need a large medical team on board the Hyperion to treat wounded Genii. There's been an attack" he explained.

"We'll be ready lad" he affirmed before it cut.

"Sheppard, I want you to lead the Jumper squadron to clear out the ground forces" Terrence said and the grin that made him melt told him he'd do it. "Okay, we don't know how long we have until the Wraith break through, let's get going" the Brit said and both him and the Colonel jogged back the way Terrence came, resolve in their eyes.

(Hyperspace)

"All of the diagnostics and test simulations came back positive. The systems have successfully integrated as though it were an Aurora-class warship" Rodney reported from his control panel behind the commanders chair.

"Good" he replied, before tapping a panel. "Carson, is the Infirmary set up?" Terrence asked.

"We're all set and ready to go down here, Terrence" the Scot replied.

"Jumper squadron?" the Brit asked.

"Cloaks are active and ready to go" Sheppard reported quickly.

"Systems status?" he asked Rodney behind him.

"Drone interface is ready to go as well as the pulse guns. Main weapon beneath is charged and all set to go and the shields are at maximum. Jumper bay will be opened as soon as we drop out and quarters are prepared for our untrustworthy friends" he replied, the last bit spoken with sarcasm.

"What about the planet search? Is there one near us?" the Brit asked.

"Yeah, approximately twenty light years from Agnos" the Canadian reported.

"Well done, Rodney" the Brit said with a small smile. The three crew members operating the three consoles directly in front of him worked to prepare the systems. "How long until with drop out?" he asked.

"Thirty seconds" Rodney said.

"Jumper squadron, on my mark you leave the bay. Good luck" he said and he received thanks and acknowledgements from them.

The ship drops out of hyperspace in front of the three cruisers and to him it looked as though they were almost pissed at their arrival. They started to shift towards the Hyperion which remained motionless for a minute.

"Go!" he ordered.

On the sensor screen, five white dots sped down towards the planet surface and the darts which were in the atmosphere began to speed up towards them.

"Wraith darts are regrouping" Rodney reported.

"Ready pulse weapons. We don't demonstrate our power on cruisers" he ordered.

On the hull, four triple-barrelled weapons raised up from a stand-by position and small domes that contained smaller double-barrelled guns opened up. One of the cruisers fired a shot at the ship, a test shot of sorts, which impacted against a yellow energy shield.

"Focus most of your fire on the darts" Rodney recommended and Terrence seconded it.

A volley of yellow energy shots headed towards the approaching fighter group, some dodging but others erupting into fireballs where they failed. The cruisers then opened up a full volley, weapons fire easily been absorbed by the Ancient shields.

"Weapons are having almost no effect on the shields" one of the technicians responded.

"Dart group is under control, sir" another reported.

"Jumper squadron has cleared the area around the Stargate" a third reported.

"Gateroom, come in" he said into the communications.

"This is Gateroom" a technician responded.

"Once the Gate is dialled, start funnelling the wounded to the Infirmary and get those not wounded settled into living quarters. Make sure every spot is filled. Once the quarters are filled, start moving them into the remaining Jumpers and the three shuttles, we need as many as we can get on board" he relayed his previous orders.

"Understood" was the simple reply.

"Sir, a hyperspace window just opened. Two more cruisers on approach" the technician managing the sensors said.

"Ready the main weapon" Terrence ordered simply.

Underneath the hull, a large energy cannon lowered. The two cruisers that were approaching began to launch the few darts that it did carry which sped down towards the planet, obviously sensing the Puddle Jumpers. The original fighter group began to speed towards the ship, weapons firing in earnest.

"Jumper squadron, fighters in bound" a technician reported to Sheppard.

"Understood. Mopping up the village before intercepting fighter units" one of the other pilots said.

The entire right side of the ship was lit up yellow from the shield, which continued to absorb most of the weapons fire effortlessly. The cannon began to glow yellow as it was powered up with some powerful shots.

"First target acquired, sir" a weapons technician said.

"Fire at your discretion" he advised.

Four shots launched from the cannon and approached the closest Wraith cruiser, each one impacting important areas of the ship, namely two in the middle and the others close to the engine unit. The weapons stopped firing as the initial fireballs dissipated before secondary explosions caused it to erupt in a massive ball of flame.

"One cruiser down, another three to go" Terrence said with a grin. A panel to his left exploded in a shower of sparks. "What the hell?!" he asked Rodney.

"The shield emitter protecting the pyramid and by extension the bridge is under a lot stress" Rodney explained.

"Reposition the ship to take stress from the emitter. Full rotate" he ordered.

The ship began to move then, circling so that it faced opposite to what it was initially and the shield dissipated on the right side. The cannon rotated to acquire it's next target.

"Second cruiser in sight" Rodney reported.

"Fire" he ordered the weapons technician.

Again, like before the quadruple-barrelled gun fired off four powerful shot and sought out the ships most sensitive points, causing it to erupt like it's comrade.

"Jumper squadron, what's your status?" Terrence asked.

"Send in ground troops to secure the Stargate, the Genii are on their way" Sheppard reported and he relayed the order to the soldiers on standby. Ten soldiers took the place of the Wraith that were taken down, setting up a defensive perimeter.

"Stackhouse, dial in when the Genii arrive" he ordered before receiving a short acknowledgement.

The last of the darts were destroyed and the pulse guns focused on one of the cruisers, firing shot after shot, causing major damage to the forward section of the ship. The minimal stress on the shield had been reduced considerably by the destruction of the two cruisers and the other ones began to turn.

"They're falling back" Terrence noted when the weapons stopped firing and the two surviving cruisers disappeared.

"Yeah, most likely to call for reinforcements" Rodney huffed.

"Then we had best hurry" Terrence said.

"This is Sheppard. All darts are destroyed and all Wraith are gone" he reported.

"Start loading Genii onto your Jumpers and get them back here. We need to get as many on board as we can. We have to load up every single sitting spot and room" he said cutting communications.

"Well that was interesting" Rodney said.

"How is that for a maiden voyage?" Terrence asked with a grin.

"Pretty damn good" Rodney replied with a relieved sigh. Terrence had a thought and he hit the panel which corresponded with communication to the Gateroom.

"Once all spots have been filled on the Jumpers and shuttles, send them to the large dome" he said.

(An hour later)

"Sensor status?" Terrence asked.

"Deep space sensors aren't picking up any contacts for now. We're in the clear" Rodney reported. "We're at maximum passengers. Any more and life support will struggle" he explained irritably due to the fact that their untrustworthy allies were on board.

"Stop sending them through" he ordered simply.

"We'll be at the planet in half an hour" Rodney said.

"Great. The Genii know that we'll be coming back for them right?" Terrence asked.

"Ladon has assured the remaining Genii that we will be returning to pick them up. He's staying to prove that we'll return, oh and he sends his thanks but no champagne" Rodney said with a rueful grin.

"Right then, take us there" the Brit said.

"On it" was the simple reply.

(Several hours later)

It took them a while, but after the first group were sent there they gave the address to the Genii and they finished the rest of the evacuation. They had managed to salvage what few supplies they could from the now partially collapsed underground facility.

"Well, Ladon is grateful for our help. Immensely so" Sheppard reported in his office.

"That's a step to improving relations" Cameron said.

"Quite. Anything happen whilst I was gone?" the Brit asked and Cameron shook his head.

"Nothing. There's been no activity from the Wraith, no dial-in from Earth. About the only thing we did pick up was the Wraith firing on the Genii planet" Mitchell reported.

"There scorching the planet bare for the rebellion. They did the same to Athos" Terrence said and he sighed.

"Hey, relax. We did good today" Cameron said.

"Yeah, you really need to stop frowning. A smile suits you even more" Sheppard said and the other gave a small smile. "There it is!" he replied with a grin.

"Quit giving me small compliments. It makes my teeth itch" he said, pink dusting his cheeks.

"You're a weird person, Terrence" Cameron said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Would I be me if I weren't?" the other asked rhetorically.

"Nah, you wouldn't" Sheppard said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder casually and the Brit struggled to control the blush threatening to make it's mark on his cheeks. The fight continued when Cameron's arm joined John's.

"Where would I be without you two?" he asked sincerely.

"Bored, undoubtedly and mind numbingly bored" Sheppard answered.

With a smile, he escaped their one armed embrace and returned to his office from the Control Room and he leant against the desk which held his personal laptop. The others joined him and he looked at the both of them.

"You two stick to me like glue" he said with a laugh.

"Well we like you" Sheppard replied easily.

"I like you both as well" he stated with a warm smile. He frowned when he noticed a cut on John's forehead. "What happened?" he asked, looking at the wound.

"It was only a bump" he shrugged it off.

"Actually it looks like a little bit more" Cameron said.

"One of the nurses have already seen to it" Sheppard protested again. He then pinched his nose and sighed, sounding a little bit pained.

"Headache? And furrowing your brow may open those poorly done stitches" Terrence said, his medical training coming back to mind. As if to prove his point, the cut reopened and blood began to run.

"He told you" Cameron said.

"I keep a small medical kit beneath my desk" he said, sounding amused.

Cameron went beneath the desk and pulled out the small green bag which Terrence unzipped, pulling out antiseptic, thread and a needle. He took a small cotton bud and dabbed in antiseptic before applying it to the cut, causing the Colonel to hiss.

"Sorry" he said softly.

"It's alright" the other replied. He gently tilted his head to get the wound in better light, soft fingers brushing against stubble and the other seemed to relax at the touch.

"What happened?" Cameron asked, watching the gentle touches.

"Took a shot from a dart, jolted the ship and I wasn't ready. Whacked my head against the side of the ship" he explained, trying not to sigh from the touches.

"I'll pull the old thread out and be as gentle as I can" he said, pulling on the old thread, causing him to wince.

"Ouch, easy doc" he said, using his old nickname which he reserved for Carson as well.

"It'll hurt either way" he said with a soft chuckle.

"You always this gentle?" Cameron asked.

"You know, not all doctors are out to hurt you even more. Carson can be just as gentle providing the wound was caused by something genuine and not self-inflicted" Terrence explained with a grin, remembering several cases when his bedside manners suck.

"And you?" the former SG-1 commander asked.

"I am much the same, however if it's a training related wound, I remain gentle as it's to be expected" he explained and both chuckled.

"I'll be coming to you" Cameron said.

"What do you think I used to do?" Sheppard asked with a grin.

He finished patching him up, placing the old thread and needle into a biowaste bag for disposal later and putting the kit away. Sheppard looked at him with a smile and an unknown emotion in his eyes, which had the Brit confused, not that he showed it. He merely smiled back, before ordering them back to work.

**If you haven't guessed the type of vessel yet, it is a vessel which is like Destiny in shape but modernized on the inside. Anyhoo, rate and review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Problems Arise and Sparring

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

**Rate an Review :)**

He looked at his reflection in the mirror and he readjusted his tie a little. Finding his appearance satisfactory he turned and left his quarters and headed back to the Gateroom with a frustrated sigh, earning concerned glances from the two Colonels who had come to see him off.

"How are you feeling?" Cameron asked.

"Like I'm about ready to drop" Terrence replied.

"It's and IOA meeting, it was bound to happen" Sheppard said with a small grin.

"Terrence!" the Brit heard Rodney call to him. "Before you go, you might wanna see this" he said and the other jogged up the stairs to meet him in the Control Room. "You know that Wraith facility we discovered?" he asked.

"Have you found the coordinates?" the Brit asked hopefully.

"What am I, Jesus? I can't work that many miracles" the scientist huffed.

"So no good news?" Terrence asked despairingly.

"I'm afraid not. The only thing we have is the planet. However we have noticed considerable Wraith activity, particularly with their Hive Ships" Rodney began to explain.

"Go on" the other urged.

"Well we tracked one of the ships, but couldn't get a definitive lock on the coordinates once it had entered the planets atmosphere" the Canadian said and the Brit pulled together his limited knowledge on technology.

"They're utilizing some sort of EM shield" he summed up.

"The exact one they use to block our transporting" Rodney said. "Anyway, despite not been able to get that lock we need to reveal the location of the planet, we picked up subtle differences with the ship. So we focused a fair amount of the city's sensors around the area of the ship in order to see what had changed" the Canadian explained.

"And what was the difference?" the Brit asked.

"There has been a substantial increase in mass. Hull integrity seems to have increased" he replied.

"So we're looking at some sort of reinforcement facility?" he asked in despair.

"More than that. Whilst there has been substantial activity going into the planet, we also noticed that the activity seemed to be coming from the planet. We've picked up several new ships, cruisers and a newer transport vessel" Rodney said, showing him the screen. "This is an image we took when we first spotted it" the Canadian said.

"Okay, so which ones are the newer ships?" the Brit asked.

"This collection of five dots here" Rodney said, pointing to the group. "That was five days ago so who knows what else they've spawned from that facility, but we know for certain that it is indeed not only a reinforcement facility but also a Wraith manufacturing plant" Rodney added and Terrence's face dropped more.

"Work on increasing the strength on those sensors. We need to find that planet" he ordered.

"We're already on it, but the process is slow going" Rodney said.

"Then search the city for anything that may help. This city was meant to be a permanent settlement, there has to be a weapons factory somewhere" Terrence said and the Canadian nodded. "Whilst you are at it, dial the Stargate" he said and Rodney winced.

"IOA meeting?" he asked and the Brit nodded. "Good luck" he added with a small thumbs up.

"Believe me, I'm going to need it" he said despairingly.

Terrence walked out of the Control Room just as the wormhole formed and he passed the Colonels who smiled sympathetically. He gave a forced smile to see if that would reassure them but to no avail, so he turned to face them before he walked through.

"Keep this city safe whilst I'm gone" he said and they both nodded.

"The SGC will be the first to know if something happens" Cameron said and Terrence gave a nod of his own before walking through the wormhole.

(Earth)

General Landry and Shen Xiaoyi were waiting at the bottom of the ramp when he came through the other end of the wormhole, both looking grim. This only exacerbated his own concern as he came down to them.

"Is something wrong?" he asked with a frown.

"You remember the Icarus project?" General Landry asked.

"It was created to find out the secrets of the ninth chevron. Has something happened?" Terrence asked.

"The Lucian Alliance attacked the base. Most of the personnel were safely evacuated but at least eighty people went through the Stargate, or we assume they did. Judging by your lack of knowledge on these events, it's safe to assume they didn't come through to you?" Shen asked.

"I'm afraid not" he replied grimly.

"What do we do?" Shen asked both of them.

"They have communication stones right?" Terrence asked and they nodded. "If they did in fact have a different destination in mind they would've taken them with them" he reasoned.

"So we just wait for them to contact us?" Landry asked.

"That's all I can advise. Is there another reason for you contacting me?" he asked trying his very best not to sound too rude.

"We thought you needed to be aware of that attack. Do you think, when you get back, you'd be able to extend your sensors and see if they gated to anywhere in Pegasus?" Landry asked and the other gave a nod.

"Of course" he said resolutely.

"Also, the Interceptor is been rushed into service in light of these events" Shen said.

"Rushed? As in..." he let it hang.

"Most of it's systems will not be installed. Shields, basic weapons and the hyperdrive will be sorted but the rest will have to be done in Pegasus" Landry explained and the other nodded.

"We'll manage. Rodney and his team managed to get an Ancient vessel up and running for our use" he said and they both raised a brow. "We found it in an underground bay, I forgot to mention that" he admitted a little sheepishly.

"So we can focus the Interceptor here?" Shen asked.

"I'm afraid matters in Pegasus are a little... complicated" he said, choosing the right word.

"Complicated? To use that word here at the SGC and in Pegasus is usually an understatement. What is going on?" Shen asked with a concerned look.

"The Wraith are reinforcing their fleet. Hull integrity seems to be on the rise and they've built a massive facility to perform the upgrades as well as new ships. We only have one ship and even that has limited capabilities despite the fact that it's been refitted" he said. By now they had relocated to a conference room.

"How many new ships?" Landry asked.

"Five Hives with three cruiser escorts for each, and even a couple of transport ships" he reported.

"Doesn't sound to bad" Shen said and Terrence chuckled humourlessly.

"That was five days ago. We discovered the facility two weeks ago" he said and Shen looked a little shocked whilst Landry looked resolute. "We'll need the Interceptor. Once we have her then you can redirect the Daedalus and Apollo away from us and we'll take up the supply ferrying" Terrence gave a reason.

"And you're sure this team that Dr. McKay is leading will do the job?" Shen asked.

"If they can successfully refit an Ancient vessel they'll have no trouble with a 305" he reassured.

"Very well. I'm reassigning Colonel Carter to the Interceptor once you have finished installing the rest of the critical systems" Landry said and the other nodded.

"Thank you General. I need to head back to Agnos so I can get started on the search operation for those eighty missing people. I'll be sure to dial back with the results. Should they contact you, will you be sure to keep me in the loop?" he asked, standing up.

"Of course. Thank you Terrence" Landry said, shaking his hand.

"Miss Xiaoyi" he said politely, giving a small bow which she returned.

Using one of the Atlantis' ZPM's, they dialled the Stargate to Avallana and he gave a small wave that they returned and he stepped back through the wormhole and to his city. He hoped that too much hadn't happened in their short meeting.

(Avallana)

"You want me to what?!" Rodney asked, shocked at the request.

"I want you to access the sensor logs and see if the Stargate network has received a total of eighty people in one trip" Terrence said, before explaining the attack on Icarus.

"I'll see what I can do, but it can be difficult to pinpoint one Gate in particular that received that many people. For all we know someone might have beaten the Wraith's countermeasure and dialled out to evacuate" Rodney explained.

"I know. However we have to try" he said with a smile.

"I'll have the results within an hour" Rodney said, oddly grim.

"Thank you. We'll be receiving the Interceptor soon" he also said and McKay raised a brow.

"Little bit early don't you think?" he asked.

"It is. However we'll only have the hyperdrive, shields and basic weaponry online. You'll have to get your team together and install the rest of the systems which should be relatively easy" he said and the other nodded without any protest.

"I don't like that face" Cameron said behind him.

"You noticed when I came home huh?" he asked, a small smile.

"What happened?" Sheppard asked, coming up behind him.

"Eighty people went missing when they went through the Stargate following an attack on Icarus by the Lucian Alliance. I've got Rodney searching the sensor logs and should that fail we'll see if we can access the data that is constantly been received by the Stargate here" he explained and the other two looked at him with a raised brow.

"You don't think they could've come here do you?" John asked.

"It's unlikely. I'm assuming they know our Stargate address so they may have come here" the Brit said. "However, we need to remain optimistic" he added and the other two nodded. "Anything okay here?" he asked.

"We have devoted a room to monitoring that Wraith facility. Providing that's fine with you" Mitchell said and the other nodded.

"Good call. Recent updates?" he asked.

"They've stopped the production of new ships. Looks like they wanna reinforce their current fleet and it seems that even the cruisers are having work done" Mitchell said.

"Well that's great" the other muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah. It's almost like they're preparing for something" Sheppard said and the Brit sighed.

"I'd rather not think of that at the moment" he said. "I do have some good news for you John. You are not in command of the Interceptor. Colonel Carter will be once we finish installing the critical systems" he said.

"I thought she was commanding the Hammond?" he asked.

"Reassigned" he said with a grin and Sheppard hugged him.

"Oh thank you" he said and the other chuckled.

"Thank General Landry. I didn't have a say in the matter" he said, patting him on the back. "And since when do you give hugs?" he asked, suspicion in his voice. "Last I remember, PDA's made you uneasy" he added with an even larger grin.

"Maybe you have that sort of effect on me" Sheppard replied with a wink.

"Ha. Careful Colonel. Getting me in the sack won't help you that much" the Brit replied, a sultry smirk on his face.

"Damn. It worked so many times before when it came to getting in someone's good books" John replied, not missing a beat.

"But were they that easy?" Mitchell asked.

"What do you mean?" Sheppard asked.

"Our dear commander might be a little difficult to please" Mitchell joined in on the teasing.

"Larrin was a commander" he confirmed "And she even made a quip on shooting too soon, I believe" the other said with a grin. "And when she did kiss you, she literally stunned you" he said and Mitchell was beside himself laughing.

"I'll get you back for that" Sheppard said in mock-seriousness.

"You might have a chance. I'm sparring today with Teyla but I can switch partners" he offered.

"I didn't know you sparred" Sheppard said.

"There is a lot you don't know about me John Sheppard. I'll leave you to find out more" he gave a small challenge with a grin.

"You're on"

(Gym)

Dressed in a black, sleeveless zip-up top and loose fitting sweatpants, Terrence stood with one arm behind his back, the other holding a Bantos rod pointed at the floor. His stance was rather proud and fitting for him, but did it mean he had skill?

"I sure hope Teyla's beatings encourage you to practice" Terrence teased him.

"She kicks my ass anyway" Sheppard protested.

"She certainly whacked it" the Brit said with a grin.

Sheppard assumed his own stance,left hand behind his back and the rod in his right which he then brought up to rest on his left pectoral. Both of them seemed to stare at one another whilst Mitchell waited in anticipations as to who would strike first.

"Ready?" Sheppard asked him.

"Are you?" was the challenging reply.

They circled one another for a moment before Sheppard suddenly struck out with a blow aimed at the Brits stomach which was easily blocked. Terrence countered with a strike to the Colonels feet however it too was deflected with force. He used the momentum which had sent his arm back and the Brit followed up with three quick strikes that were quickly blocked.

"Let's see what you can do" Sheppard said.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know" the Brit replied shamelessly.

"I think we both would" Sheppard said, referring to Mitchell who watched with a grin.

Terrence started a really fast flurry of blows which were easily blocked and parried, Sheppard even lashing out when a gap was left, although he generally sidestepped them. He soon brought his rod down to his thigh, connecting with it.

"Still want to know what I can do?" Terrence asked with a grin.

"Yeah" was the simple reply.

"Looks like I'm becoming a medical doctor tonight" was the reply.

Mitchell watched as each one attacked each other. He discovered that grace was inherent in the Brit and that Sheppard possessed his own hidden grace as he easily sidestepped some of the jabs sent at him.

"I sure hope you know how to stitch yourself up" Sheppard taunted.

"Oh please, it's easy. Stitching you up is even easier" was the retort.

Spotting a flaw in some of Sheppard's defensive manoeuvres, he struck out realising too late that he had struck at his head. The whack sounded out in the room, the two other wincing before Terrence's face turned to shock as Sheppard clutched his head.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry" he said, approaching him.

"It's fine" Sheppard replied.

He then swung his rod at Terrence's feet tripping him so that he landed on his back and he felt a weight settle on him as Sheppard pinned him to the ground.

"And that is how you do it" the American said.

"Okay, I'll allow it. Considering that" he said, gesturing to the cut.

"Nice one" Sheppard said with a grin.

"You do know you can get off of me now, right? Or do you like been on top of me?" he asked with a smirk and Sheppard's cheeks were dusted with a faint blush as he stood, offering his hand to the Brit. "Let me see to that" he said.

"What here?" he asked.

"Nope, my quarters are closer and I keep a kit in there too"

"Doctor to the core" Mitchell said, finally speaking. "That was pretty damn awesome" he added.

"Yeah it felt awesome" Sheppard said, touching his hand to his head and feeling warmth, he knew he was bleeding. "But I gotta hand it to ya doc, you know how to fight" Sheppard said, lazily draping an arm over his shoulders.

"I was more than just an infirmary worker you know. I did do off-world missions" he said.

"Really? I didn't notice" Sheppard replied, a little shocked.

"When you're the military commander of Atlantis and head of your own team, I would be surprised if you did" he said, sounding almost bitter. The arm around him tightened as though Sheppard had noticed the bitterness in his tone.

"So what made you become a politician? Even if it isn't official" Mitchell asked.

"I wanted Atlantis to return to it's home" he said simply.

"Earth was it's home" Mitchell reasoned.

"Yeah but didn't you ever lay in bed one night and the sound of the ocean outside of you're window just didn't seem to fit because it wasn't New Lantea?" the question was directed at Sheppard.

"I thought I was the only one who felt like that" Sheppard said.

"We all felt it. So I did it to get that familiarity back" he said, hand swiping over the motion sensor.

"You two are weird" Mitchell said, breaking the silence and making the other two chuckle. "Waves are waves" he added.

"When you live in Pegasus for nearly five years, you get used to it and then you never want to get rid of it" he said, directing Sheppard to his bed and using his gene, the lights had brightened a little bit so he could see the wound.

"You really consider Pegasus your home over the Milky Way?" Mitchell asked.

"You'll probably feel the same way when you've lived here for a year" Terrence said softly.

The kit he pulled out was the same as the one that he kept in his office and contained all of the same supplies. He pulled out a larger cotton bud as well as antiseptic, stitching and a two large butterfly bandages.

"Did you?" Mitchell asked.

"It was creepy in the first few weeks. Then the rest of the year felt so natural to us" Sheppard said for the both of them, hissing a little.

"Sorry. Try not to move, these are good sheets and tipping antiseptic on you is not ideal" he said and the Colonel nodded. He dabbed nice and gentle, just like he did following the Genii attack and he noticed that he had opened the cut from said event.

"What's up?" Sheppard asked, noting the frown.

"I re-opened your other cut. I'm such an arse" he said, frowning even more.

"It was sparring. One of us was gonna get hurt eventually" Sheppard tried to reassure.

"I know but I should've thought ahead. Sorry John" he said and he could hear the Colonel chuckle. "What is it?" he asked.

"You need to lighten up a little bit more" Sheppard said.

"I'm not that tightly wound" was the insulted reply.

"You've been under a lot of pressure recently. I'm surprised you've been this relaxed" Cameron said from behind him. He then noticed Sheppard sway a little, the Brit picking up on it as well.

"Are you feeling dizzy?" Terrence asked.

"A little, yeah" Sheppard admitted.

"Cameron, sit with your back to his for support. John, just lean back and relax, and it will pass when I've given you painkillers for the rocking headache you know doubt have" he said and Mitchell went to move. "I sure hope you take your boots off before you sit down" he said, almost like a parent chastising a child.

"I was just checking to see that you noticed" Cameron said, undoing the laces.

"Forgive me for been sceptical" he said with a grin.

"You're forgiven" was the sarcastic reply, punctuated with a grin.

"Cheeky" he said, and then his radio came to life, Rodney speaking. "Go ahead" he said simply.

"The result of the log search came back. No one has been detected as coming through and the Gate logs that no more than five people have used a Stargate in the galaxy" Rodney reported whilst the Brit moved on to the second cut.

"What about uninhabited worlds?" he asked calmly.

"Negative" was the simple reply.

"Okay Rodney. Dial the SGC and report that back to them. I'm somewhat tied up at the moment" he said sadly and he received and acknowledgement. "Eighty people, just gone" he said with a sad sigh which the others didn't like.

"We don't know if they're dead" Sheppard tried to comfort.

"That's right, we don't" he said, finishing the stitching. "I'll go get your painkillers" he said, packing the kit away and going into a draw and pulling out a tub. "Do you want water?" he asked and the other merely shook his head.

"Where do we go from here?" Mitchell asked, standing up when Sheppard said he could.

"We wait for them to contact us" Terrence replied simply. It was quiet for a moment, then he thud could be heard as the Brit hit the wall in frustration. "Damn it!" he shouted.

"You need to relax" Cameron said softly.

"I'm not the only one on edge. The SGC are grim about this" he said, calming when Sheppard and Mitchell rested a hand on his shoulders. It was late by the time they decided to go but it got to the point where he said they may as well stay, citing that he needed to keep an eye on Sheppard anyway in case he felt worse because of the hit. He chose share the bed with Sheppard and Cameron made a bed from all of the cushions he kept as decoration, grabbing an extra quilt from Terrence's cupboard. They all fell asleep with relative ease, but Terrence felt a hand rest on his shoulder and squeeze gently.

"We'll find them" Sheppard whispered.

"I know" was the soft reply, a hand coming to rest on his for a moment, before pulling away, but Sheppard's hand never let his shoulder that night.


End file.
